Best Wine Events of the 2018 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
It’s that time of year again – for 10 days in March, locations all over Melbourne and regional Victoria are gearing up for a slew of events celebrating local producers, growers and makers in the food and beverage space. Per usual this year’s Melbourne Food and Wine Festival does not disappoint. But with so many great events on, it’s hard to choose where is best to spend your time and money. For the wine lovers out there, there are dozens of options all over the state, but we’re particularly excited about the following:
Wine & Curds? No Whey! (March 18)
What would a list of wine events be without one dedicated to wine and cheese? We love the wines coming from Yarra Valley’s Innocent Bystander, and love it even more when they put on an event featuring a selection of their wines with matched Yarra Valley Dairy cheeses. This will be delicious and informative – you’ll be guided through tasting notes on the food and wine and will also learn about cheese production and cultures. This one’s well-worth a day trip out to Healesville.
Innocent Bystander is hosting a tasting of cheeses and wines from the Yarra Valley – two of the greatest things!
The New France (March 18)
France is widely and historically associated with traditional and trusted winemaking techniques, and there are never a shortage of restaurants, events and classes dedicated to the topic. An afternoon exploring the new winemakers and producers of France though, is something unique. Ôter is worth visiting on any occasion, but when you can do so under the pretext of discovering the next generation of French winemaking with importerAndrew Guard, you’re looking at a pretty excited (and delicious) experience.
Riedel Glass Tasting (March 18)
We’ve covered why wine glasses come in various shapes and sizes on our blog, but nothing makes knowledge stick like a hands on experience! This Riedel Glass Tasting event will allow you to see – and more importantly, taste – for yourself what a big difference a glass can make to a wine. Learn, taste and enjoy at the beautiful Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
Barrels and Prosciutto (March 23, 24 and 25)
If you haven’t been to the Project 49 space in Collingwood yet, it’s worth checking out. The owners, who operate a sister space near their vineyard in Beechworth, are hosting Barrels and Prosciutto over three days, during which you can taste and compare Italian wines straight from the barrel, with some age and freshly bottled. In true Italian fashion, there will be a salumi bar to accompany the wines. An approachable and fun way to enjoy the wine side of MFWF.
Take Five (March 25)
This is one we are really excited about – a five course lunch featuring five of the Yarra Valley’s finest producers and winemakers… what better way to taste the terroir and expressions of the region? One of the featured winemakers will include Rob Dolan Wines, who are also hosting the event on their beautiful property in Warrandyte South.
Wine events on the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival program range widely in price, so there is something available for every group of friends and occasion
This is just the tip of the iceberg, of course. It’s worth exploring the full program to see what wine events suit your schedule and interests – this is a unique way to try a range of wines in some really fantastic atmospheres.
For more news and updates on Australian wine events, visit our blog.2
Or, if you would like to book a tailored tour, try Yarra Valley tours or Mornington Peninsula tours
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